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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Weekly Prayer Thought

When you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Matthew 6.5 Prayer is a simple and powerful tool that can often be intimidating. Many are lost on the way to prayer because it seems overwhelming. We don't know where to begin. The cares of the world, after all, are huge. I am just one person. Even if I pray hard, what difference can it possibly make?

Many times we get stumped in efforts to pray before we even get to the praying. One reason is that for too many people, we have never been taught how to pray. We are lost when it comes to what we should say or do. And yet we know Jesus' words were "When you pray," not, "If you pray."

So, here is an old pattern that you can use for your prayer time. Use this acrostic to remind you of the different areas that you should pray in. I use this pattern more than any other prayer-method. It works.

A- Adoration. Praise God for all he has done and all that he is. Tell him how much you love him. Spend time reminding God, and yourself, how great he is.

C- Confession. The Bible is very clear that every human is sinful. We need to confess and repent of our sins. God will forgive us, but we must be honest and open with him. This part of prayer should never be neglected or taken lightly.

T- Thanksgiving. The Lord has done many things for you. Never forget to be thankful for them. Thank him for forgiveness, for life, for salvation, for family, for answers to prayer... The list is endless.

S- Supplication. This is when you ask God for things. Notice that you ask for your needs after you have established and built a relationship with God. He will answer in the context of our relationship with him.

Use this prayer model each day this week. Watch what a difference it makes in your life.

Prayer: Help me to pray, dear God. Eliminate the excuses I have for neglecting you and my responsibility to pray. Make me faithful. Make me holy. Make me yours. Amen.

1 comment:

I totally agree; we need to be in prayer. I was lifting prayer concerns to God throughout the day today. It is easier when there is something that burdens us. We have so many needs; as a community, as a nation, as a group of believers. We need to be in prayer for revival. We all need to be refreshed, renewed. Jesus said "..you do not have, because you do not ask.." Let's ask!